When and how to plant corn seedlings?
Every connoisseur of corn dreams of trying their favorite treat ahead of schedule. To harvest an early harvest, you just need to have your own garden or dacha, as well as a little knowledge and patience. Planting corn seedlings allows you to harvest the first ears within 68–75 days after the first shoots appear, around June 20. Let's find out when to sow it and how to grow seedlings at home.
How to grow seedlings correctly?
The first step is to sprout the corn. To do this, the grains should first be soaked for 12 hours in a small amount of warm water (22-25 degrees). After the specified time, they should be placed on a moistened burlap, filter paper or sawdust. If the nights are cold, then a film cover should be installed over the corn. After 3-4 days, small roots usually appear.
Soil selection
Corn does not like heavy soil, light and medium loamy - loose, fertile, moisture-consuming - suits it best. Coconut and peat substrates are also suitable for growing, but then the seedlings need to be fed.
Also, if desired, the mixture for sowing corn can be prepared by yourself.
- Option number 1. The structured turf soil should be mixed with well-rotted humus in a 1 to 1 ratio.
- Option number 2. To prepare 4 kg of the mixture, you need to take 1 kg of peat and sand, add 1.8 kg of compost and 200 g of ash.
- Option number 3. If only heavy loamy soil is available, then approximately 10% sand or 1/3 of peat must be added to it.
Sowing seeds
Sprouted grains should be planted in the second decade of April. It is best to use separate containers with a diameter of 12 cm. Some plant 2-3 seeds in each pot, and after 3-4 true leaves appear, the weakest plants are thrown away. Planting is carried out to a depth of 2 cm, after which the earth is watered with warm water. If the corn grains have not been previously disinfected, then you can water them with a weak (pale pink) solution of manganese.
Advice
In the northern regions, seedling cultivation should be started later. It is important that the planting is carried out in a well-warmed ground, because corn does not tolerate cold and can simply die.
Landing in open ground
Planting seedlings is carried out at the same time as normal sowing with grains, that is, when the threat of frost has passed. In warm regions, already at the beginning of May, the soil is sufficiently warmed up, therefore, it is during this period that most crops, including early corn, can be sown. Usually 2-3 weeks pass from the moment of the first mass shoots. By this time, the roots of the seedlings fill the entire growing container, and 3 true leaves appear on the stem. If the plant for some reason stays in the pot longer, then its development will be delayed, which can significantly affect the harvest.
In order for the root system of the seedlings not to suffer during planting, the soil in the pots must be watered abundantly in 1-2 days. In the meantime, you need to prepare the beds. If the soil is too heavy, it must be loosened with a small amount of sawdust or straw. Further, corn seedlings must be planted in a checkerboard pattern to a depth of 8-10 cm. The distance between rows is 35-40 cm. It is this scheme that provides optimal illumination and photosynthesis of plants. At the final stage, the corn is watered and hilled.
Advice
It is customary to plant melons (pumpkins, melons, watermelons) between wide corn rows. Plants do not interfere with each other at all, but rather the opposite.Corn serves as a curtain for melons, reduces the incidence of diseases. And they, in return, do not allow the earth to dry out, covering it with their wide leaves. In terms of sowing pumpkin or watermelon, it coincides with planting corn seedlings in open ground. However, some combine their cultivation by placing melon seeds and corn kernels in one pot.
Care
Corn seedlings need to be tended regularly. It is important to provide her with sufficient light, watering and feeding. Proper cultivation allows you to harvest an excellent harvest at the end of June.
- Shine.
Corn is a light-loving plant, so it is better to place the seedlings on the windowsill of the sunniest side (southeast, east). In case of insufficient lighting at home, it is advisable to install a fluorescent lamp. Planting or sowing corn should only be in a sunny area of the garden.
- Watering.
The plant tolerates drought well, but irregular watering can reduce yields. Therefore, it is important to avoid large fluctuations in humidity. Be sure to water the corn at the time of germination, throwing out panicles, forming ears, as well as on sunny hot days. In this case, soil moisture should be abundant, to a depth of at least 10-15 cm. At the time of pollination of the cobs, it is important to ensure that the stigmas do not dry out. The best time to water is early in the morning.
- Fertilizer.
Growing corn is best done in fertile soil with a high humus content. For this, in the fall, manure... If the moment is missed, then in the spring you can lay humus, compost or any complex fertilizer with a high nitrogen content in the ground. After that (after 2 weeks), the seedlings can be planted in the soil. You can fertilize plants after planting, but no more than 2 times a month. The first mineral fertilizer should be applied in a week. When the cobs are ripe, corn reacts well to potash fertilizers (potassium sulfate).
- Other important nuances.
Maize maintenance also involves loosening the soil between the rows. For the entire season, this must be done at least 2-3 times. In order not to damage the root system, it is important to reduce the depth of treatment as the plant grows. In addition, during the active growth of corn (after the appearance of the 8th true leaf, it grows several centimeters per day), lateral shoots should be removed in a timely manner. Then the main ears will be at their maximum size. Additional pollination of the plant also contributes to the large size. That is, when panicles begin to appear, you need to shake them gently in the morning.
Advice
Corn grows best after beets, buckwheat, potatoes, winter crops and legumes. But after millet sowing it is not recommended, this increases the risk of infection with a common pest - corn moth.
How to deal with pests?
Many are surprised: why suddenly the juicy green leaves of corn turned yellow and began to wither? The fact is that the plant can be damaged by various types of insects throughout the growing season. Most dangerous for corn wireworms, fry fly larvae, winter moths, aphids, bear and corn moth caterpillars.
In order to harvest the crop safe and sound, it is important to adhere to the following rules.
- Use only resistant corn hybrids.
- Treat grains against soil pests.
- Remove weeds in a timely manner, including on roadsides.
- Perform early, deep fall plowing.
- Start sowing at the optimal agronomic timing.
Early boiled corn on the market is pretty decent and, moreover, does not inspire confidence. It remains to be seen how it was grown and what chemicals were used. Therefore, it is not surprising that everyone who has their own vegetable garden prefers to grow corn at home. This is the only way to be 100% sure of its benefits.
In addition, growing corn does not require a lot of time and money, this plant is easy to care for.The queen of the fields is famous not only for delicious grains, but also for her stigmas. They can be used to treat kidney, liver, diabetes and many other diseases. And corn also serves as a wonderful hedge for the site. That is why its green long stems adorn almost every vegetable garden or summer cottage.
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